School of Liberal Arts

Relationships between science, religion, politics and the arts found new visual expressions in European art and architecture of the 17th century. The course explores individual artists of Italy, Spain, France, Flanders and the Dutch Republic in view of their particular contributions to Baroque art and architectural cultures. The birth of the Baroque in Rome metamorphosed by the end of the century as a global language historically characterized as exuberant, tumultuous and even licentious.

Neoclassicism, Romanticism and Realism mark several artistic responses to the transformation of societies by political revolutions in Europe and America at the end of the 18th century. In the wake of change, 19th-century art and architecture exhibit the influence of technology, literature and music while displaying new ways for artists to view society and their place within it.

Driven by the concept of the avant-garde, art in the 20th century breaks radically from tradition into the myriad possibilities of art in a pluralistic era. This course follows these developments through studying the theories and styles that redefine the role of the artist and the very nature of art from the Modern to Post-Modern periods and beyond.

Renaissance art and architecture remain extraordinary works, historically characterized as unique artistic achievements and the revival of an earlier, venerated age. Patronage, self-identity, artists’ biographies, techniques, materials and the myriad functions of art all shape our understanding of the Early Modern period. Commanding particular attention is the development of artistic practice and exchange between artists and architects—not only within a single master’s workshop, but also over time and across Europe.

With emphasis on the art of France, Spain, England and Italy, this course educates the student on the art produced in 18th-century Europe. Distinction is made between the various stylistic periods that occurred during this century, namely the Rococo, Neoclassical and Romantic periods. Artwork is considered in the cultural and historical context.

This lecture-based course introduces African American arts during the modern period through an examination of key movements, artists, and context. Utilizing an interdisciplinary framework, students explore the historical and social context of African American culture and art from the 18th to the 21st century. Students gain a foundational knowledge of key events, monuments, and theoretical debates, preparing them for advanced studies on the African diaspora.

Students gain an understanding of the art produced by the diverse cultures of this region in this broad survey from prehistory to the modern period. This course focuses on the arts of India, China and Japan, with particular attention to technique, style, content and the role of the arts in Asian cultures.

In this course, students explore the arts of Africa from ancient times to present-day through a study of key monuments and their meaning. Students focus on the manifestation of civilizations through various art forms, such as sculpture, architecture, sacred regalia, sign systems, textile art, performance arts, and more. Gaining insight into ancient cultures and classical traditions, students study the diverse range of artwork across the African continent.

Focusing on painting and sculpture in the United States, this course offers a survey of American art from the colonial settlements to the early 20th century. The unique social, political and intellectual contexts of American art provide the basis for understanding the history and art of our own culture.

The French region of Provence has inspired an array of artistic achievement from the monumental Roman aqueduct to the evocation of “The Starry Nights” by Van Gogh. Class discussion and site visits introduce students to the art collections and architectural monuments found throughout southern France. Students gain an understanding of the artistic traditions and the history of Provence.

Archeological sites, artwork, architecture and monuments have sparked questions and conversations throughout history. From British archeology in the Neolithic period to pagan ritual landscapes, students analyze how these ancient artifacts have impacted cultures around the world. Students discuss art and architectural developments under the Normans, Vikings, Irish, and conclude with the synthesis of English Gothic.

The breadth of new media in the digital and imaging arts and the recent history of artistic exploration into these media has become a significant component in the field of art history. Underscoring this survey is the concept that new media have forced art history into expanding the canon and criteria for examining art. In particular, this course surveys the evolution of traditional media.

Beginning with the period of Neolithic ceramics, ritual bronze vessels, early pictorial art, Buddhist sculpture and architecture, and ink monochrome landscape painting, this survey of Chinese Art moves to the period of self-expressionistic paintings of the literati amateur tradition. The course provides an exploration of the content, style and role of the arts within the framework of Chinese culture and history.

Examination of the formative and historical relationships between the art and culture of ancient Mediterranean civilizations reveals trends and traditions that establish a basis for modern civilization. Works of art and architecture are analyzed using a variety of archaeological and art historical approaches.

The Middle Ages is a rich period encompassing Early Christian, Byzantine, Romanesque and Gothic art. This course addresses the art, architecture, sculpture, painting and "minor" arts such as manuscript illumination of the era in their political and religious contexts.

The purpose of this course is to help students identify major mythological, biblical and symbolic themes in Western art. Students read excerpts from mythological and biblical literature and discuss their depiction in major works of art. Cultural symbols in art are also considered. This course is designed to further prepare students to recognize the use of symbolic language in works of art and to read and interpret the visual expressions of the cultural themes.

The art and architecture of Asia exhibit the transformation of imagery by ideological and economic forces of power and authority. A series of historical case studies explore that expression in the arts from the ideological underpinnings of ancient kings and emperors of various states to the impact of colonialism and reactions to colonial rule, and finally the dynamics of power and the arts in modern nation-states. To develop a variety of perspectives and explore methodological strategies, a rich selection of media are examined, including painting, design, public sculpture, architecture and the construction and transformation of the cities before, during and after colonial rule.

Students gain an overview of Japanese artistic traditions and innovations from the Neolithic Jōmon period up to the culture of today. From refined court culture to the military influence of the samurai, students explore the rich variety of artforms used in Japan including painting, sculpture, interior design, garden design, prints, and contemporary media such as video and installation. Students study the impacts Buddhist and Shinto beliefs have had on the content, style, and role of the arts within the framework of Japanese culture and history.

Architecture, painting and sculpture of the Indian subcontinent are studied in context, with discussions of how Buddhist, Hindu, Jain and Muslim religions relate to the artistic production of the society. The purposes and functions of the various temples, sculptures and paintings are emphasized and students gain an overall awareness of the different uses of art in India as compared to the West. Literary texts provide a contextual background.

Visual art continues to be an arena for social and political expression. Censorship is examined in relation to single objects, public sculpture as form and as community process; the idea of the monument; and issues such as civil rights, gay rights and challenges to the definition of art. This course focuses on case studies throughout history that have been censored, with an emphasis on European and American art production.

Africa is central to any discussion of art in the 21st century. In fact, the images and dialogues that have emerged from African countries have been in many cases leading an expanding global discourse that the international art world now calls familiar. This course explores the reciprocity or symbiotic existences between cultures. The influence of African art on Western art and culture has been exhaustively published, but less has been understood about the reciprocal gesture of Western arts. This course guides the student through the theoretical and analytical landscapes of contemporary African art since 1980.

Stories in Asia have taken many visual forms, from murals and handscrolls, sculpture and woodblock prints, to more contemporary media, such as manga and anime. Through analysis of narrative devices and visual formats specific to East Asia, students gain an understanding of historical art forms and how they impact today’s culture.

A dynamic fusion of classical heritage, indigenous pagan cultures, consolidated Christian iconography and liturgical needs characterizes the period from the establishment of Constantinople as the New Rome in the East to the rise of pilgrimage and monasticism in Western Europe. A unified political and cultural authority in the eastern Mediterranean beginning in the fourth century stands in marked contrast to the diverse local and regional practices extending throughout the territories formerly controlled by the Roman Empire. This course develops themes based on geography, cultural and artistic exchange; contrasts and comparisons in the art and architecture of Christianity; and the different and intertwined influences and impulses emerging in art and architecture after antiquity.

The ancient Egyptian civilization contributed staggeringly innovative works of art and architecture over more than three millennia, from the pre-dynastic cultures in the North and South through the Ptolemaic and Roman periods. Special attention is given to current archaeological discoveries in Egypt, the importance of hieroglyphs in the understanding of Egyptian art, and the phenomenon of Egyptianization throughout the history of Western art.

Art of the Middle Ages came in many different forms. The focus of this course is on the decorative and other minor arts, which include textiles, fashion, metalwork, lapidary carving, jewelry and small-scale sculpture. Discussions of their function in a variety of contexts throughout the Middle Ages are the primary concentrations.

The international movement of artists at mid-century generated radical shifts in artistic practice. During the post-war period, theories crossed disciplines and informed the making and criticism of art. This course uncovers the significant characteristics of the recent past and present, and explores the theory, criticism and history that inform it.

Students explore the inextricable bond between form and spirit through a scrutiny of visual art, ideographic writing systems, jewelry, fashion, dance and music within its historical context. Students apply diverse methods to test the reading and display of both consciously abstract and deliberately representational spiritual approaches to works of art.

New practices in installation and environmental art often hybridize art with life, technology, science, research, perception, philosophy and ethics. Such integrative artwork may transform our perception of the immanent world. Students analyze and interpret such work in light of their meaning in social, cultural and political frames of reference.

How and with what tools have great artists created their masterpieces? This course delves below the surface to explore the physical character of paintings, manuscripts and stained-glass windows by northern and southern European artists from 1100 to 1600. Antique treatises and recipe books regarding artists' materials and techniques are studied. Recent scientific examinations of artworks and conservation issues are also considered in light of emerging studies in this field.

Using the university resource of the Earle W. Newton Collection of British and American Arts, British portraiture from the Renaissance to the early 20th century is examined. Course discussions focus on content, style and technique of work that is directly observable in the collection and explores the context and role of portraiture in British society.

Art historical discourse has traditionally neglected women artists. Surveying women’s contributions to artistic production from antiquity through postmodernism redresses this. Students examine the social constructs that informed these exclusions, read scholarship addressing gender issues and discuss the revision of art history in the light of recent scholarship.

The culture areas of the northern and eastern North American continent are examined, with discussion focused primarily on content, context, style, technique and the role of art in these diverse cultures. Regions studied include the prehistoric Eastern Woodlands, historic Southeast, Northeast, Sub-Arctic, Arctic and Northwest Coast.

This course engages in revelatory and transformative aesthetic experiences of contemporary global art and culture. Students engage with the effect of cultural experiences on consciousness through the study of aesthetics, the philosophy of art, metaphysics, and ethics. Students also engage in mindfulness practices, receiving art without distraction or judgment while producing formal writing that explores the cultural impact of their moral and ethical values.

Students explore the contributions made by Ancient Greece to world art and architecture in stylistic, social and historical context, together with the archaeological achievements made in uncovering the Greek past. Special attention is given to Greece’s foundational position for Western culture and civilization.

Students examine the monuments and achievements of Ancient Rome through architecture, sculpture and painting from the birth of the Republic to Constantine. Special attention is given to the influence of Rome as the transmitter of Western culture through to modern times.

The culture areas of the western and southwestern North American continent are examined, with discussion focused primarily on content, context, style, technique and the role of art in these diverse cultures. Regions studied in this course include the Plateau, the Great Plains, the Great Basin and the American Southwest. Students read, research, write and speak about issues in Native American art while learning how to analyze native art in its cultural and temporal context.

Literature of the 19th century had a strong influence on British painting. This course examines the visual and verbal dialogue between these two art forms through the reading of poetry, novels and other prose as a means to comprehend their application in the visual art world of 19th-century Britain.

Modern Russian art is the product of the same discourses that defined all Western modernist movements. Through the study of Russian architecture, film, painting, sculpture and theatrical settings, this course addresses fundamental issues that are raised in an examination of modernism in any national context.

During the 19th century, Paris was the center for artistic change in Europe. This course explores the work and theories of major French painters, sculptors and architects, with special consideration given to history and the emerging technologies.

In the late 19th century, the concept of the avant-garde was developed by artists working on the problems of painting the immediate sensations of light. The issues of what a painting was and the role of the artist in society are discussed. The influence of impressionism on the concept of modernism and the individual personalities are significant aspects of the dialogue.

The rich and exotic traditional arts and cultural traditions of Africa, outside of Euro-American influence, are discussed in this course. Students focus on developing an appreciation of other cultures and exploring their limitless potential to work with Western cultures in the spirit of reciprocity.

Developments in artistic theory and design such as the contradictions in Michelangelo’s work—which enlighten and explain the dramatic intensity and stylistic changes from the grandeur of the High Renaissance to the complexities of the Mannerists—are the focus of this course. Works of principal painters and sculptors from the major art-producing cities of the period are studied.

The 1980s in New York were a time of tremendous change and experimentation in the art world. From the influence of Punk to Graffiti art, Appropriation to Neo-Expressionism, the downtown art scene redefined the cultural landscape of New York. This course undertakes an in-depth study of this particular period, focusing on the use of the photograph across diverse art media and practices.

From its invention in 1839 through the 20th century, photography has been a key factor in shaping and defining modernity. Photography and Modernity explores such topics as the invention of the medium and technical innovations, commercial photography, the spread of photography across the globe, photojournalism, movements of art photography, including pictorialism and surrealism, and social documentary. Photographs are studied as both art objects and historical artifacts. Recurring issues include the debates between art photography and documentary photography, government and private patronage, individual and collective endeavors, original and published prints and urban and landscape views. Students read key texts by foundational writers as well as theoretical essays by contemporary scholars.

Covering the great artistic achievements and the diverse social conditions north of the Alps from approximately 1350–1575, this course explores the diverse and unified art and architecture produced in northern Europe during the period. The role that the church and nobility played in the invention and development of oil painting is studied, as well as the role prints played in creating the unprecedented spread of information, leading to an awareness of classicism and playing a significant role in the Reformation. The technical development of prints and the importance of religious sculpture also are critically analyzed.

This course gives special emphasis to the form and function of Italian art and architecture from the early 14th to the middle of the 16th century, the context of these works, and the lives of the artists and architects who produced them. Questions of patronage and the influence of humanism through literature are examined. Differences in regional style are critically analyzed.

The visual arts and architecture of the indigenous cultures of ancient Mexico and northern Central America from 1500 BCE–1550 CE are explored in this course. Architectural monuments, sculpture, fresco and manuscript painting, lapidary arts, featherwork, textiles, ceramics, and metalwork of the Olmec, Teotihuacano, Maya and Mexica-Aztec, among other cultures, are discussed within their socio-political and ritual contexts and in terms of their expressive content: subject matter, form, materials and techniques.

The legacy of the Vatican site is investigated from the ancient Roman era into our contemporary day. General areas of focus include archeological evidence and the art and architectural development of the site. The relationships between artists, the papacy and the people are reconstructed as well as the role and history of the museum collection. Contemporary issues involving the site, its art and its relationship to the world are exposed to students who explore a variety of scholarly approaches associated with the challenges of studying an ancient site over time.

This course introduces students majoring in art history to the multiplicity of theoretical frameworks and methodologies that have defined the history of art as a discipline. The course explores art history’s evolution as a field of study, seeking to understand the ways in which art historians have established the autonomy of their subject. The course addresses the many intersections with other disciplines and bodies of knowledge.

Visuality in the representation and experience of space is culturally determined. In Western art since the 15th century, the constructs depend on the history and theory of perspective and projection drawing. Optical theories and practices developed during the Early Modern period explain the geometric properties of Euclidean space and depend upon seeing, knowing and creating within scalable space. This course explores the mechanisms of constructing vision by the conventions of linear and non-linear perspective, orthographic and projection drawing, distorted representations, movement, and the responses to form and environment.

How do art and culture define a city’s identity and history? In this course, students answer that question by exploring the rich visual heritage and historical artifacts that define and express the people, places and culture of Savannah and the Lowcountry.

In this course, students explore the innovative methods used in modern museums and galleries that exhibit immersive and sensory-driven installations. Students examine new directions and multi-faceted trends that engage viewers with the senses of smell, touch, taste, and hearing in contemporary art.

The medieval manuscript provided artists with the most important venue for painting for more than 1200 years. Students learn how and why manuscripts were made by exploring production practices and patronage. The socio-historical context under which these fine works were created is a significant component of this course. This undergraduate seminar explores these themes and the cultural and interpretative contexts of the works of art.

Afrofuturism is the reimagining of social reality as an alternate, modernist universe where Black lives thrive. Through active engagement with cultural theories, perspectives, and concepts, students examine the diverse, artistic expression of Black experiences in the U.S. Students explore cutting-edge ideas through the exploration of readings, film, music, performance, and visual arts that reflect Black American thought from the 19th century to present day.

Students explore the multifaceted, cultural landscape of Cuba from an Africa-centered perspective. Examining important events and philosophies of key African civilizations, students delve into the historical foundations that contributed to the creation of Afro-Cuban culture and arts. Through the exploration of visual artifacts, prominent artists, film, scholarly readings, music, and dance, students learn about traditional and contemporary influences from Havana to New York City.

Where artistic creation and cosmology converge, performance is inherently interdisciplinary. This class investigates the relationship between Africa and the Afro- Atlantic World via an interdisciplinary methodology. Students explore performance, ritual and its objects, dance, gesture, theatre and music, as well as readings and films. Studying these cultural productions sparks a critical reevaluation of the traditional notion of "diaspora" as a static relationship between Africa and the Americas (what came from Africa, came to the Americas), revealing the Afro-Atlantic World as an amalgam of reciprocal and continuous contact between the Americas, Europe and Africa.

Surrealism and cinema created new visual realms that astonished 20th-century viewers. Supplemented by film screenings, exhibition reviews and literature reviews, students explore the related developments of surrealism and cinema from 1924 to 1984. Students learn a new approach to surrealism focused on the impact on popular culture. The role of women as both the subject matter of surrealism and as artists is also emphasized.

The construction of visual cultural productions occurs where the imagined and the real intersect. Whether pieced together on a flat surface, transformed into three-dimensional works of art, or expressed through writing, sound and movement, the art of assemblage represents cultural heritage and artistic stories. This course investigates the various forms of visual art, theater, dance, film, architecture and spatial interventions for the purpose of research, analysis and the navigation of creative approaches.

The twenty-first century art museum is an unparalleled storehouse of human knowledge and cultural history. Students master a historical overview of the development, evolution, form, and meaning of the art museum. Through course readings, class discussions, and case studies of major museums, students explore museum theory and cultural and interpretative works of art in collections and exhibitions.

William Hogarth was the foremost visual satirist of 18th-century Great Britain. His oeuvre's commentary on the social, political and intellectual issues of 1720s-1760s Great Britain and (to a lesser extent) his influence on contemporaneous and subsequent artists are analyzed through readings, discussions, research and writings. This undergraduate seminar explores these themes and the cultural and interpretative contexts of the works of art.

Ruins have always held a special fascination for artists of all periods and cultures. Buildings left half standing, sculptures in fragments, and objects of melancholic beauty all hold profound lessons. This class traces the art resulting from the wrecked remains of civilizations past. Students explore the cultural significance of ruins and form their own analyses through research and interpretation of visual materials.

Textiles, studied within their cultural contexts of production and use, reveal how fiber arts can communicate ideas through metaphors embedded in all creative design choices and technologies. In exceptionally textile-literate cultures, sites of meaning include fiber and dye selection, sources, and processing; the type of loom employed; fabric structures; pattern choices; and the gender of the artists.

The print medium was the earliest form of rapidly disseminated mass-communication to combine image and text. It therefore predicted contemporary visual mass media. Easily circulated, prints sparked a revolution: Artists and consumers rethought how imagery could impact consciousness. This course examines works by major print artists, a variety of audiences for prints, the broadening of content and format, and developments in print technology.

Addressing the history of photography from circa 1945 to the present, this course examines major photographic movements, styles, critics and theoretical perspectives. The course focuses on the rich and varied critical and theoretical discourse circulating between photographs, or images using photography, and the texts that helped frame the most significant contributions to contemporary photography.

Internships offer students valuable opportunities to work in a professional environment and gain firsthand experience to help them prepare for careers. In an approved internship setting, a student typically spends one quarter working with an on-site professional supervisor and a faculty internship supervisor to achieve specific goals and objectives related to the program of study.

The so-called Second and Third Waves of Feminism, from 1970 to the present, are the focus of this course. The course takes into account the immediate influences from the middle decades of the 20th century, in particular the impact of the Women's Liberation Movement and the Stonewall riots. Feminism has been strongly influential in all areas of contemporary art and therefore this course covers topics such as, but not limited to: the history of "feminisms," Feminism as theoretical framework, the history of women as artists, the relationship of Feminism to Civil Rights and to Queer Theory, Cyberfeminism, and the validity of the term "post-feminism." Students enhance their analytical thinking and interpretative skills by engaging in close readings, small group discussions, an independent research assignment and collaborative visual presentations. This undergraduate seminar explores these themes and the cultural and interpretative contexts of the works of art.

Taught by both a visiting scholar/curator and a SCAD faculty member, this seminar is organized around the expertise of the visiting scholar/curator. Students read and discuss the visiting scholar/curator’s work and other work of comparable scope, scale or historical context. Through discussions, workshops, criticism and research projects, students work with the visiting scholar/curator to expand their critical understanding and the historical and cultural context of research projects or exhibitions.

The two world wars of the first half of the twentieth century wrought unprecedented levels of destruction and artistic production. In this course, students investigate how those who directly experienced battle memorialized the fight; how imagery affected and connected those on "the home front;" and how art formed evolving historical narratives of both wars.

This course provides an opportunity for students to demonstrate sound scholarly methodology and critical thinking skills as they select a topic, research it and write an advanced research paper under the supervision of a faculty committee. The thesis topic must be approved at least one quarter in advance by a faculty adviser. The course is designed for senior art history majors.

Historiography is a thorough introduction to the principal developments and writings in the field of art history, with an emphasis on developments from the 18th century onward. Readings for class meetings demonstrate various approaches to and methodologies in art history.

Contemporary art encompasses an unsurpassed diversity of cultural perspectives, critical positions, and creative approaches. Students learn the conditions of today’s artists while gaining familiarity with the theoretical discourses, art historical methods, and artistic practices that have defined recent history. A range of contemporary works of art anchor class discussions central to today’s art and visual cultures.

The structure of this course combines analysis of texts by major art critics and the development of critical writing skills. Each class discussion focuses on key terms, analytical lenses and the development of pertinent frameworks for the interpretation of contemporary art and artistic practice in art criticism. Student presentations and writing assignments help to develop students’ critical thinking as they analyze the art criticism of preeminent practitioners in leading scholarly journals.

The importance of critical theory and how it has shaped the practices of both artists and art historians in recent times is the focus of this course. Various theoretical models permit a reconsideration of the position of art and its histories in the context of a range of socio-cultural issues. The course explores the impact of critical theory upon the practices of both making and writing about art.

Optical theories and practices developed during the Early Modern period depend upon the geometric properties of Euclidean space and construct experience by seeing, knowing and creating within scalable space. This course explores the mechanisms of constructing vision by the conventions of linear and non-linear perspective, orthographic and projection drawing, distorted representations, movement, and the phenomenological responses to form and space. The graduate critique leads to advanced research and a focused investigation exploring the theme within the history, theory and criticism of art and design.

The Pre-Raphaelite movement is explored through the paintings, prints and design media made by artists associated with the movement. The course explores the debates and practices addressing craft and mass production as well as the diffusion and reform of art and architecture from Europe to America.

Ancient Egypt and its pyramids have represented the apex in world architectural achievement since antiquity. This course examines the chronological development of the pyramid form, its functional synthesis in ancient Egyptian culture and its transmission as an emblem for Egyptianization through time.

The medieval manuscript provided artists with the most important venue for painting for more than 1200 years. Students learn how and why manuscripts were made by exploring production practices and patronage. The socio-historical context under which these fine works were created is a significant component of this course. The graduate critique leads to advanced research and a focused investigation exploring the theme within the history, theory and criticism of art and design.

Dancing the Diaspora investigates the relationship between Africa and the Afro- Atlantic World by examining the point where artistic creation and cosmology converge. Using an interdisciplinary methodology, we draw on visual and performance art as well as readings and films. Performance is defined as expressive culture in the broadest sense, and includes ritual and its objects, dance, gesture, theatre, music and the spaces in between. A shift from the traditional understanding of "diaspora" as a static relationship between Africa and the Americas (what came from Africa, came to the Americas) will be employed, conceptualizing the Afro-Atlantic World as an amalgam of reciprocal and continuous contact between the Americas, Europe and Africa.

Surrealism and cinema created a new world that 20th century viewers could have never imagined. Challenging traditional scholarly paradigms, students master and apply a range of recent developments in methodological approaches and theoretical constructs to surrealism and cinema, focusing on their complex relation to one another and to popular culture. Emerging discourse on the role of women as both the subject matter of surrealism and as artists receives emphasis. Supplemented by film screenings, exhibition reviews and literature reviews, this course charts the relation between developments in surrealism and cinema from 1924 to 1984.

The creative act of assemblage occurs at the intersection between the visual and the spatial, between imagined and constructed reality. Whether bound to flat surfaces, constructions in three dimensions, time-based practices or linguistic play, the art of assembly constructs new relationships dependent upon cultural heritage and artistic traditions. This course investigates the intermedial and relational nature of assembly from a range of perspectives, including visual arts, theater, dance, film, architecture and spatial interventions.

Ancient Rome has long been the inspiration for major film and television productions across the globe. In this seminar course, students examine the evidence of visual culture and the role of art history in producing such cinematic vehicles. Students use the latest interpretive methods to specifically address the spectacle and propaganda of major Roman legacies preserved in the media of film and television.

The twenty-first century art museum is an unparalleled storehouse of human knowledge and cultural history. Students master a historical overview of the development, evolution, form, and meaning of the art museum. Through course readings, class discussions, and case studies of major museums, students explore museum theory and cultural and interpretative works of art in collections and exhibitions.

An interdisciplinary course connecting African American aesthetics with cutting edge ideas, and intellectual and social movements that will challenge students to re-think the past and present. Students will take on important topics in American history and see the crucial relationship between art and ideas, encouraging independent thinking. This understanding will furnish students with a broad visual vocabulary and cultural awareness, preparing them to deal with the “real world” with all its richness and intricacy. Our assessment of course offerings indicates that SCAD does not currently offer a course in this topic area. Thus, there is a need for it. Students will actively engage with cultural theories, perspectives, and ideas to enrich understanding of their role within a complex and dynamic international community.

Students conduct in-depth research into the multifaceted, cultural landscape of Cuba from an Africa-centered perspective. Exploring crucial events and philosophies of key African civilizations, students delve into the historical foundations that contributed to the creation of Afro-Cuban culture and arts. Studying visual artifacts, prominent artists, film, scholarly readings, music, and dance, students cultivate a broader awareness of the cultural influences from Havana to New York City.

Knowledge in the field of artists’ materials and techniques is a significant stepping stone for graduate students looking to work as professional art educators, museum curators, and gallerists. In this class scholarly readings and artists’ dialogues combined with interpreting scientific evidence and conservation projects form the basis of art historical analysis on topics such as technique and authentication. This graduate critique leads to advanced research and a focused investigation exploring the theme within the history, theory, and criticism of art and design.

The breadth of new media in the digital and imaging arts and the recent history of artistic exploration into these media make it essential to consider the evolution of these art forms from traditional media. Underscoring the exploration is the conception that new media has forced art history into expanding the canon and the traditional criteria for examining art.

William Hogarth was the foremost visual satirist of 18th-century Great Britain. His oeuvre’s commentary on the social, political and intellectual issues of 1720s-1760s Great Britain and (to a lesser extent) his influence on contemporaneous and subsequent artists are analyzed through readings, discussions, research and writings. The graduate critique leads to advanced research and a focused investigation exploring the theme within the history, theory and criticism of art and design.

Artists are perpetually engaged in processes of making and unmaking. The poignant exercise of creating art in response to the buildings and monuments that have been worn over time has long been a fascinating human activity. This class traces the intellectual interest in the art of the ruin. Graduate-level critique leads to a focused investigation of ruins within the multicultural history, theory and criticism of art and design.

Studied within their cultural contexts of production and use, textiles reveal how fiber arts can communicate ideas through metaphors embedded in all creative design choices and technologies. In exceptionally textile-literate cultures, sites of meaning include fiber and dye selection, sources and processing; the type of loom employed; fabric structures; pattern choices; and the gender of the artists. The graduate critique leads to advanced research and a focused investigation exploring the theme within the history, theory and criticism of art and design.

How do we define landscape? How are photographs uniquely suited to capture the grace, horror and beauty of the places in which we live, work and play? This course examines photographic landscapes from the everyday to the extraordinary, from the serene to the surreal. Theoretical readings situate landscape photography within a larger framework of photographic history and criticism and explore various representations of landscape throughout the history of photography from 1839 until the present, with a special focus on American practitioners and places.

The print medium was the earliest form of rapidly disseminated mass-communication to combine image and text. It therefore predicated contemporary visual mass media such as newspapers, television and the Internet. Easily circulated, prints sparked a revolution: artists and consumers re-thought how imagery could impact consciousness. This course explores the effects of this paradigm shift while examining works by major print artists, a variety of audiences for prints, the broadening of content and format, and developments in print technology. The graduate critique leads to advanced research and a focused investigation exploring the theme within the history, theory and criticism of art and design.

After 1945, photography and avant-garde cinema transformed art and visual culture, and are closely intertwined. This course examines major contemporary photographic and cinematic movements, styles, critics and theoretical perspectives. The focus is on the rich and varied critical and theoretical discourse circulating between photographs, or images using photography, film, and the texts that framed significant contributions to contemporary photography and cinema.

Students in this course undertake a field assignment under the supervision of a faculty member.

Students in this course undertake a teaching assignment under the supervision of a faculty member.

The history of feminist art is rich and varied. The second and third waves, from 1970 to the present, are the focus of this course. It also takes into account the immediate influences from the middle decades of the 20th century, in particular the impact of the Women's Liberation Movement and Stonewall. Feminism has been strongly influential on all areas of contemporary art, which is also a subject of discussion throughout the course.

The art history M.A. degree program culminates with completion of a graduate-level thesis that demonstrates mastery of scholarly research and analysis; a refined knowledge of the history, theory and criticism of art and design; and makes an original contribution to the discipline of art history.

The city of Savannah offers an immersive research laboratory where students examine the complex connections between artistic expression and cultural identity. Through deep exploration of the region’s rich visual heritage, students pursue contextual understanding of the intersectionality of race, class, gender and identity embedded in Savannah’s public and private histories. Engagement with local resources energizes and enriches documentation of the people, places and culture that define Savannah and the Lowcountry.

The topic of this course varies from quarter to quarter. Each course focuses on various issues in the field of art history.

A great story is the foundation of all successful narrative films. In this course, students analyze scripts to discover how narrative structure, character development, cinematic language, and dialogue are used to convey meaning to an audience. Students give voice to their own stories through developing, pitching, and writing short scripts for the screen, while exploring the collaborative relationship between the writer and the rest of the creative team.

With improvisation central to television and film comedy-making today, it is imperative that writers can think outside the box, generate content quickly and work collaboratively in a writers' room. Through exercises and experimentation, students gain confidence in using improvisational techniques within a collaborative environment to transform inspiration into the creation of original scripts.

Through short-form screenwriting, students master the art and craft of cinematic storytelling and expression by creating compelling narratives and believable characters. Based on analysis of successful screenplay mechanics, students develop high-quality short-form, fictional narratives for film that are suitable for submission to short-form screenwriting competitions and for production in collaborative student projects.

Playwrights are masters of dramatic construction. They bring to life believable characters, give them voice through dynamic conflict and memorable dialogue and create worlds that capture imaginations. Through careful analysis and critique of seminal stage works and their own original scripts, students explore a variety of techniques and styles used by professional playwrights across the ages.

Solid narrative structure is essential to the creation of compelling script-based storytelling. Beginning with the Aristotelian notion of drama and progressing through modern formats, students analyze plays, movies, and television series to identify the basic components used to build story in a variety of genres and narrative forms.

From its roots in the conventions of 19th-century theater and vaudeville through the emergence of subscription channels, streaming content and multi-screening activity in the 21st century, American television has been a source of entertainment and a reflection of social trends and values. Students investigate this rich history to gain an understanding of the influence television yields on society, forming a foundation for their future written work.

In this course, students explore the structure and development of sketch comedy through a process of pitching, outlining, rapid writing, and revision. In an environment of workshops and critical inquiry, student examine status, character, political satire, physical comedy, and other diverse styles to inform the creation of successful original sketches.

In this course, students transform artistic visions into feature film scripts. From story research to shaping the narrative structure, students outline the script and story beats, all with a focus on incorporating key elements such as theme, premise, character development, and commercial viability.

Storytelling is evolving. To thrive within emerging platforms, students analyze cultural trends and learn to adapt their narrative skills for digital, interactive, and immersive delivery. Within a collaborative setting, students create innovative short-form work to tell stories in immersive formats such as themed entertainment, branching narratives, and 360 worlds.

Whether it's novels, plays and comic books; or apps, toys and Twitter feeds, the film industry is always looking for the next big idea. In this course, students identify and restructure a wide range of source material for the needs of a three-act feature screenplay. Emphasis is placed on analysis of case studies and in-depth critique in a collaborative environment as students progress from writing an initial concept, to beat outline, to the midpoint of an adapted screenplay.

Dramaturgs contextualize the world of a play and lead important conversations about the meaning and significance of texts. In this course, students gain a sophisticated understanding of the collaborative nature of theater through an introduction to the roles of the dramaturg and literary manager. By practicing dramatic adaptation, script coverage, theater season planning and production dramaturgy, students learn to construct casebooks that improve production quality.

Playwrights captivate audiences with complex characterization intricately woven with conflict and motivation into a dynamic story arc. With an emphasis on producing professional work, students work collaboratively in an intensive workshop environment to write and revise full-length scripts for performance and production.

Informed by a thorough examination of the dynamic and evolving industry of television comedy, students take on the role of comedy writer as they craft an original spec script for an existing comedy series. Through in-class table reads and exploration of current trends in comedy, students focus on the DNA of the series and voice of each character.

Mastering drama series structure is a vital skill that provides writers with a wide variety of exciting opportunities in television production. Through careful analysis of current market trends, students delve into the character, tone, and form of successful episodic dramas to conceive, pitch, and develop a spec script for an existing television drama.

With roots dating back to the melodic precepts of Aristotle, the musical narrative has been inextricably linked to American performance, culture, and zeitgeist since the early 19th century. Through an exploration of historical and contemporary musical theater and cinema, students analyze the structural and narrative devices that guide narrative musicalization, crafting original musical structures that sing.

Professional screenplay writers know that the first draft is just the beginning of a feature film script. Revision is vital to shape the narrative elements of theme, tone, structure, and dialogue into a dynamic, compelling story. Students complete their feature scripts from part one of this two-part sequence by workshopping their scripts in a collaborative environment. The final work is refined for submission to professional production entities and entry into advanced screenplay competitions.

The limited series occupies an important place in the television landscape. In this course, students explore the unique challenge of creating a three-act structure with its attendant character development over four-to-six episodes. By examining watershed limited series, and their place in television history, students conceive and propose a series based on an original idea, an existing intellectual property, or an historic event, resulting in the creation of a professional pitch deck and an industry-ready proposal.

An original comedy pilot is one of the most effective tools a writer can have to break into the industry and attract the attention of agents, producers, and studio executives. Through an examination of television comedy trends and analysis of successful pilots, students conceive, pitch, and develop a pilot script and show bible for an original comedy series.

Based on examination of current and past television drama trends and successful pilots, students conceive, pitch, and develop a pilot script for an original drama series. Students create a series bible, comprising all elements of the ongoing story arcs and character development. Through collaborative analysis and revision, students generate professional material suitable for submission to networks, production entities, and industry professionals.

From character-driven genres to interactive spectacles, dramatic writers collaborate to bring stories to life. Students explore all stages of the creative process, from concept to final production, as they partner with artists and designers in other fields to create, perform and/or produce original material. Repeatable. Student may take course up to three times for credit.

History, current events, and cultural changes impact us daily. Students explore the human condition by examining events that shape us through feature documentaries, non-dramatic television, and fact-based podcasts. Students learn tools to create factual narratives in the growing field of non-fiction entertainment.

Internships offer students valuable opportunities to work in a professional environment and gain firsthand experience to help them prepare for careers. In an approved internship setting, a student typically spends one quarter working with an on-site professional supervisor and a faculty internship supervisor to achieve specific goals and objectives related to the program of study.

From live performances to film, television and online channels, the global entertainment business is full of opportunities for dramatic writers. To claim their place, dramatic writing students hone their pitches, acquire networking skills and create career action plans that support their professional aspirations as screenwriters, TV writers, playwrights or creators of original online content. Students revise and polish existing written material that showcases their specific creative skills to potential employers.

Improvisation takes writers from behind the pen and teaches them to use ensemble-building techniques and improvisational exercises to generate original content and develop agility in their creative process. Warm-up techniques, collaborative exercises and scene work energize students to transform ideas into innovative narrative works that expand their writing process.

Writers explore and adapt the principles of storytelling as narrative models emerge. Incorporating analysis of the earliest works of dramatic theory to leading-edge digital formats, students examine the evolution of dramatic structures. They compare components of multiple narrative platforms to determine what makes a work successful and apply these elements to their own writing.

User-generated content, immersive technologies, and interactive narratives have revolutionized the art and technique of storytelling for writers. In this course, students create original content for immersive user experiences and virtual reality in 360-degree environments. By employing established story principles to new narrative models, students create stories that become experiences.

Equipped with an understanding of script structure, character development and dialog, students learn to craft compelling short-form narratives, including webisodes, animation, video games, narrative advertising, short plays and sketches. As they engage with a range of forms, students support collaborative opportunities across disciplines as they prepare for a variety of professional applications.

From the 19th century to the present, the medium of television has evolved and impacted the human experience. In this course, students examine the history of the form from vaudeville through on-demand, streaming channels. They analyze business models, distribution platforms and ratings systems that drive contemporary entertainment markets and shape viewing habits.

Dramaturgs elucidate the techniques of dramatic compositions and investigate their historical and sociological contexts to enrich the world of classical and contemporary theater. In this course, students take on the role of the dramaturg and engage in designed research for the study or production of a script or theatrical season.

Students develop and enhance their personal voice as screenwriters through the development of an original screenplay in a collaborative environment. Based on a refined understanding of the principles of screenwriting and visual storytelling, students transform imaginative visions into compelling characters and captivating stories, from initial concept to the midpoint of a script.

The ancient Greeks created the rules of drama, while contemporary playwrights continue to push those boundaries to excite and inspire audiences in new ways. Through analysis of theater's most important plays, students move beyond conventional elements of dramatic structure to advance the art of live performance.

The adaptation of source material for the narrative feature is a staple of both mainstream Hollywood and independent films. In this course, students identify, analyze and restructure sources, such as novels, poems, plays, short stories, news content, video games and songs, to inspire a three-act feature screenplay adaptation.

From "The Civil War" to "Making a Murderer," interest in non-fiction storytelling is growing exponentially. Feature documentaries and non-fiction television involve real-life storytelling that delves into the circumstances which form our daily life. In this course, students explore the expanding field of non-fiction writing, learning the fundamental tools involved in creating factual narrative.

Dying is easy. Comedy is hard. In a writers' room environment, students experience the truth of this adage through in-depth exploration of current television comedies, both on and off network. Students create a spec script for an existing show, with careful attention paid to structure, tone, and style.

Television dramas captivate our imaginations and evoke our deepest emotions in narrative worlds of heightened reality. In a writers' room environment, students use an analysis of current trends to inspire the creation of a quality episode for an existing television drama. Through exploration of character, tone, and form, students conceive, pitch, and develop a spec script suitable for professional presentation.

As one of the essential tools for breaking into industry, the fully-developed comedy pilot script is a central piece of the dramatic writer’s portfolio. Working in a writers’ room environment, students create and refine an original comedy series script based on extensive research into industry opportunities and distribution channels. Professional opportunities related to comedy writing are explored, including strategies for submission to agents, producers and studio executives.

By analyzing successful television dramas, students learn the trade secrets of conceiving, pitching, and developing a professional quality pilot script and series bible for an original drama. In this course, students create a comprehensive world through series story arcs and character development. Analysis and revision occur within a writers' room environment to produce material for submission to networks, production entities, and industry decision makers.

A fully developed, feature-length script transcends the old bromide "screenplays are never finished, only produced or abandoned." With an eye towards professional opportunities, students in this course complete a feature-length script and prepare it for entry into the marketplace.

The dramatic writer relies on creative collaboration and adaptive thinking to actualize a narrative work. In this course, students contribute to cross-department creative initiatives by creating partnerships with artists and designers to conceive, create and produce original material. Repeatable. Student may take course up to three times for credit.

Students in this course undertake a field assignment under the supervision of a faculty member.

Students in this course undertake a teaching assignment under the supervision of a faculty member.

Students showcase the expertise and mastery developed during the course of the dramatic writing graduate experience in the development of a thesis. The thesis consists of a single narrative work representative of the specialization fostered during participation in the program. A second written component demonstrates the research informing the development and philosophy of the work itself, the knowledge of forms and the history of the student’s discipline.

Equine behavior is emphasized as it relates to the care, handling, and health of the competitive sport horse. Students experience opportunities for hands-on practical application that are essential to the budding equestrian professional. Fundamental skills, proper use of equipment, and common preventive measures for equine ailments are introduced.

With a focus on the American hunter-jumper forward riding system, classical dressage, reining, and Western sports, students explore the theory and methodology of diverse riding styles. Students apply industry-standard terms and methodologies to analyze real-world scenarios, and identify appropriate riding positions, aids, and tools for mounted control of a horse.

Through elevated engagement with riding fundamentals, students deepen their understanding of riding theory, and further develop training practices for handling equine evasions under saddle. Studying rehabilitation of previously trained or rescued horses, students learn to recognize equine issues and identify strategies for improvement. Students apply industry-standard language and methodologies to analyze real-world scenarios and identify the appropriate riding positions, aids, and tools necessary for advanced riding.

Students gain interactive experience in advanced horse care, including proper emergency care, first aid and bandaging techniques, and infectious disease control. Students also explore concepts of equine dental health, farrier science, nutrition, and sports medicine.

The evolution of the horse is studied from its ancient beginnings to domestication, including a focus on the philosophies of classical equitation masters and how the physical capabilities of horses apply to equestrian sport. The course emphasizes the horse’s relationship with humans throughout time, including its impact on the arts.

Training techniques and methods are practiced in hands-on sessions with SCAD horses throughout this course. Emphasis is placed on groundwork and the ability of the trainer to correctly influence the horse through systematic and graduated training principles, including the proper use of tools and equipment.

Designing an equine facility is a blend of science and art. This course takes an in-depth look at the needs of the horse, anticipated facility uses and management styles for a variety of horse properties. Students showcase their knowledge, talents and creativity in the final project where they apply an understanding of types of structures, materials, equine safety needs, site planning, zoning and building regulations, and environmental impacts.

A thorough understanding of equine anatomy and physiology is crucial for the proper care and training of the performance horse. By examining the complex interaction of bones, muscle groups and internal organs in the equine athlete, students understand the importance of maintaining the delicate balance of internal and external structures, while at the same time enabling the horse to achieve peak performance.

Students study all aspects of starting and operating a successful equine-related business. By exploring the regulations, ethics and management techniques unique to the equine industry, students gain a solid foundation of business concepts. Included in this course are cutting-edge entrepreneurial skills, such as the creation of a strategy plan, that keep the learning environment engaging and relevant.

Students further their knowledge of the systems of the horse, learning the common diseases and disorders. Students become familiar with the pathophysiology, clinical signs, diagnoses, and treatments associated with each disease and disorder. Emphasis is placed on the detection and early treatment of ailments.

Students explore equestrian pedagogy, learning teaching techniques and theories to form an individual style within a systematic approach to teaching riding. Lesson plans, goals and learning outcomes are studied along with the psychology of teaching.

This hands-on course provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary for professional success as riding instructors. Theories and methods of riding instruction developed by classical and modern masters are practiced. Students observe experienced riding instructors, develop lesson plans and conduct mock lessons with classmates under the instructor's supervision.

Students learn how to evaluate the horse and rider’s performance in competition. Judging criteria and protocol for hunters, equitation, dressage and eventing are explored with a focus on the rules outlined by the United States Equestrian Federation. Students are made aware of the procedures and the requirements necessary to become a licensed official.

Mastery of the rules and regulations and course design for recognized competition is imperative for the professional equestrian. Students become immersed in competition management, including licensing, conduct and sportsmanship, class specifications of various disciplines and divisions, and how to avoid violations and penalties. Students also explore the artistry of designing courses for competition.

Students are immersed in the growing world of equine sports medicine and rehabilitation. Common sport horse injuries, their diagnosis and treatment, as well as rehabilitation protocols are studied. Exposure to the newest techniques and hands-on opportunities heightens the student experience.

To ensure the health and wellbeing of competition horses, students must understand the important principles of equine care and therapy. Students learn equine massage techniques tailored to the individual horse’s needs, with a focus on muscular health and physiology. Through observation and hands-on practice, students identify areas of tension and apply therapeutic techniques that improve overall wellness and athletic performance. Students gain both practical skills and foundational knowledge in equine massage therapy, preparing them for professional practice.

This course is designed to guide students through their professional development as they refine their specializations and prepare for successful careers in the equestrian industry. Emphasis is placed on career preparation, in-depth research and industry-specific expectations.

Internships offer students valuable opportunities to work in a professional environment and gain firsthand experience to help them prepare for careers. In an approved internship setting, a student typically spends one quarter working with an on-site professional supervisor and a faculty internship supervisor to achieve specific goals and objectives related to the program of study.

Students from a variety of disciplines within the School of Liberal Arts work as a team to research, conceptualize and develop creative solutions for current design challenges. Specific projects vary from quarter to quarter. [This course may be taken up to three times for credit.]

Turn the page on literary theory and start reading as a writer. Students unpack the classics—and more—in terms of technique such as narrative flow, cadence, transitions and tone. Through exercises and short imitative pieces, students learn how to mine texts for the very nuts and bolts of writing.

Poets spark imagination and emotion through aesthetic word choice, figurative language and careful construction of linguistic rhythm. Through meticulous analysis of form and content, students uncover the structural and rhetorical devices employed by master poets.

All storytellers, from novelists to screenwriters, require a solid foundation in fiction writing. In this course, students read a range of fiction works and master the fundamentals of writing fiction across multiple genres, including key components of character development, plot, setting, and theme.

From lyric essays to powerful memoirs, from food writing to travel stories, creative nonfiction is a versatile art form that traverses a multitude of subjects. Students develop their own styles and voices, moving beyond the boundaries of traditional nonfiction genres to present truthful stories of people, places, and events.

Students read, discuss and analyze classic and contemporary short stories and learn a range of narrative strategies for creating plausible characters and conflict. Students produce manuscripts for group readings and workshop discussion and revise their work for the portfolio and for possible submission to publications within and beyond the university.

Writers contribute to the entertainment industry across a diverse range of platforms. From social media content to online movie reviews, students learn the storytelling techniques professional writers use to connect arts and entertainment organizations with their audiences.

Promotional writing takes many forms–from 140 characters tweeted to followers to billion-dollar marketing campaigns. Promotional writing involves telling a story in a particular way to reach a certain audience and achieve a goal. Students hone their communication skills to better promote themselves and their work by learning about effective promotional strategies and creating a promotional plan of their own.

Contemporary writers create interactive story experiences that extend across platforms, and allow audiences to engage with content in new ways. Through application of multi-platform storytelling theories and methods, students immerse audiences in participatory and interactive worlds within various creative industries.

In today’s crowded marketplace, businesses use stories to craft brand identities, develop relationships with consumers, and find creative solutions to complex problems. Students explore how storytelling is used in corporate and business communication, as well as the many ways writers contribute to the problem-solving process in the professional world.

Repetition, precision, rhythm, compression and imagism are the structural and artistic elements that form the foundation of poetry. Through critical examination of contemporary poetry, students develop an insistent attention to language, syntax and sound, elevating the quality of their work and building a sophisticated portfolio of original poetry.

This course invites students to consider how the elements of story work in a novel, with a special emphasis on how writers create dynamic characters and move those characters through the action of the story. Students produce manuscripts for group readings.

This course offers an intense focus for students interested in publishing their work and covers elements of nonfiction writing such as tone, unity and thematic development. Students produce manuscripts for group critiques.

All creative writing projects require research to inform and imbue the work with depth, context, texture, authenticity, and plausibility. In this course, students explore the tools and methods of story research and examine the ways in which research is used to elevate and amplify storytelling.

From Simon Winchester’s “The Professor and the Madman” to Erik Larson's "The Devil in the White City," students explore critical elements within the long forms of fiction and nonfiction. They master time and place as character, the symphonic quality of structure, and the notion that research must be fluid in order to follow the dictates of narrative. They also learn how to position their own writing within the publishing marketplace.

From religious texts to fairy tales, students explore the central elements of story writing. Using imitative techniques, they master narrative drive, character development, cadence and other essential components of story writing. They are then able to use these techniques to enhance any kind of writing in any field of study.

The idea of "place" encompasses the physical and/or natural environment as well as the environment of culture. Students create descriptive work suitable for publication in venues that focus on exploration of place.

Fashion writing combines an understanding of the principles and practice of journalism with an ability to identify trends and newsmakers in the fashion industry. Students study the basics of good journalistic writing through readings and exercises, and learn how to look at and think about fashion from the perspective of a writer. The course culminates in each student producing a publication-worthy, fashion-themed story.

From video essays to data journalism, effective storytellers find ways to engage with audiences on significant and critical issues. Using a range of investigative and storytelling techniques, students explore trends and challenges in contemporary journalism. They learn to share their narratives across a range of video and other digital platforms for a variety of organizations.

Contemporary writing must include the art of criticism in all fields studied at SCAD. In this course, students develop a keen eye, learn to put critical thought into words, and write reviews suitable for publication.

From finding an agent to pitching a literary piece, freelance writers must possess promotional skills and business acumen. In this course, students identify freelance opportunities and develop communication and presentation skills to promote their writing. Armed with a polished portfolio, students curate original work for industries—from editorial and publishing houses to marketing and entertainment.

When storytelling meets emerging media, writers are limited only by their imaginations. In this course, students use a variety of digital platforms and evolving technologies to bring non-linear, interactive stories, and multimedia stories to the screen. Students create stories for a wide range of audiences and discover the possibilities available to writers in the field of emerging media.

From W.S. Merwin to Louise Glück, successful contemporary poets captivate audiences with a distinctive poetic vision and voice. Building on a proficiency and knowledge of complex poetic forms, students refine manuscripts based on an emulation and reinterpretation of the poetic artistry of contemporary poets. Students gain valuable insight into their own work through intensive critique and revision as they prepare for professional opportunities.

Primarily for writing minors, this course helps students polish their work for publication, providing advanced training in techniques of fiction writing through workshops and revisions. Students produce work for a public forum.

Advanced writing students hone their creative nonfiction writing skills by drafting, critiquing and revising work for their portfolios and possible publication. This course draws from and builds upon the knowledge and skills gained in previous courses, paying particular attention to the mastery of form and the cultivation of style.

The basics of good interviewing, reporting and writing remain essential to the craft of writing for magazines. Students learn to generate story ideas, identify angles, interview sources and write personality profiles, feature articles and shorter front- and back-of-book magazine pieces. Students hone skills in freelance pitching, self-promotion and marketing.

Large corporations, technology start-ups and financial institutions all need writers, but they need writers with a specialized skill set. From contract work to technical writing and training, this course prepares students for work in the corporate world.

Writers of literary journalism use fiction-writing techniques to tell nonfiction stories. Students review the history of this popular genre by reading the work of its most accomplished writers. Students research their topics, conduct successful interviews and structure the information they have gathered into compelling narratives.

Students reimagine the roles of characterization and setting as they explore opportunities to publish their work. Students read seminal primary and secondary texts from the 20th and 21st centuries in order to grapple with issues such as the writer/subject dichotomy, the relationship between truth and memory, and the crucial question: What makes a life worth writing about?

Students read classic and contemporary works of literary humor and write their own humor pieces, such as stories, essays, lists and letters. By sharing their work in a highly collaborative writers' room environment, students learn how writers get laughs on the way to getting at something even better: the truth.

From vampires and zombies to gunfights and swooning heroines, this course explores a range of contemporary literature that falls outside the traditional academic scope. Students engage in critical readings of major writers from horror, fantasy, romance, mystery, thriller, science fiction and other often-marginalized genres. When appropriate, students examine how those stories have been retold or reevaluated in other media, such as film, art, photography, online media or television. Students also write their own works of genre fiction.

From online fiction to documentary podcasts, serials are a popular and versatile form of storytelling. Through exploration of a variety of genres, students produce serialized novels, podcasts, or episodes for streaming services. By practicing the form across genres, students become agile, multi-disciplined storytellers for a dynamic mass media market.

Internships offer students valuable opportunities to work in a professional environment and gain firsthand experience to help them prepare for careers. In an approved internship setting, a student typically spends one quarter working with an on-site professional supervisor and a faculty internship supervisor to achieve specific goals and objectives related to the program of study.

Successfully pitching original work requires writers to thoughtfully synthesize market opportunities and professional goals. In this course, students polish and curate original writing as publication-ready pieces suitable for individual career goals and aspirations. Leveraging their personal writing identity and professional digital presence, students appropriately approach and pitch to editors and other writing professionals.

Students examine the development of new media; explore its theoretical, social and practical implications; and examine new media through and relative to the writing process in order to understand and communicate ideas using new media and technology.

By learning techniques in storytelling, characterization, scene-building and point of view, students develop their fiction-writing skills. Students learn from being exposed to the work of major fiction writers as well as from engaging in constructive critiques of each other's fiction in workshops.

In this course, students work on their essays or chapters of a nonfiction work. Their efforts are developed towards mastery of their own writing style. Students also present and discuss their works in the classroom environment.

Studying authors such as Joan Didion and Graham Greene, students tackle the central elements of writing about place, including narrative drive, focused intention and research techniques. By exploring literary journalism, memoir, fiction and travel writing, students learn to bring a location to life, thereby making place a character in their prose.

Students in this course continue to work on their essays or chapters and themes from Nonfiction I. Activities include furthering previous works in nonfiction as a way to develop mastery in their own idiom. This course enables students to work toward a book-length, publishable manuscript; a collection of essays; or a thesis.

This course approaches persuasive writing as an essential complement to visual forms such as advertising design. It also explores the deconstruction of written expression associated with advertising, design and promotion embodied in copywriting for visually creative scenarios.

Fashion writing combines traditional journalistic skills with the ability to spot trends and interview newsmakers in the fashion industry. Writers with the right skills and sensibilities have numerous publication opportunities in traditional print as well as emerging media. This course imparts the basics of good journalistic writing along with enabling students to look at and think about fashion from the perspective of a writer. Students develop a publication-worthy, fashion-themed story, as well as query letters for article placement.

In this course, students delve into the meaning of George Saunders' maxim that "Humor is what happens when we're told the truth quicker and more directly than we're used to." Students study how today's funniest writers create humor by mining our anxieties and a rich vein of proven literary techniques. Students then apply those techniques to write funny short works of their own.

Students in this course learn the skills necessary to communicate effectively, professionally and persuasively to a wide variety of workplace audiences. Students gain experience creating various workplace documents including proposals, reports and procedures as well as typical forms of business correspondence such as letters and memos. Collaboration, communicating ethically and communicating with international audiences also are stressed.

Graduate work in starting one’s first novel or work of nonfiction provides intensive focus on the first chapter—the foundation of all large works—and how to get started on one’s graduate thesis material.

Students explore the history, current status and importance of responsible journalism in today's society and identify industry trends and opportunities. Through lectures, presentations, workshops and discussions, students learn the skills of news reporting and editing, while exploring ethical issues involved in covering news.

Reviewing is one of the surest ways for a writer to enter the marketplace successfully. This course introduces students to the three fundamental aspects of any publishable review—summary, analysis and opinion—and examines each within various genres (film, music, design, etc.). Students learn how to both refine the application and discover the malleability of these elements. Students are encouraged to submit their best work for print and online publication throughout the quarter.

Editors depend upon freelancers to provide topical content that is informative, entertaining and suitable for their print and online publications. Students in this course learn how to generate their own freelance article ideas, conduct interviews, target publications, pitch editors, and research and craft various types of articles for paid publication. From queries to contracts and clippings, students learn the art, ethics and business of freelance writing.

Graduate work in this course includes writing query letters and formal book proposals, submitting work to outside editors and working in an editorial setting in the classroom. Workshops are conducted as editorial meetings with agendas, focus and critique.

Promotional writing takes many forms—from 140 characters tweeted to followers to billion-dollar marketing campaigns. Promotional writing involves telling a story in a particular way to reach a certain audience and achieve a goal. Students are immersed into the study and practice of promotional writing, which involves developing and managing strategic relationships with internal and external stakeholders by researching and planning promotion plans and measuring promotion effectiveness.

Students in this course undertake a field assignment under the supervision of a faculty member.

Students in this course undertake a teaching assignment under the supervision of a faculty member.

Students enrolled in the M.F.A. program in writing are required to complete a thesis demonstrating knowledge of forms and the history of their discipline, as well as professional writing skills. Students work with their faculty adviser throughout the process of thesis completion.